Durham County Council can help get rid of most common pests for a one-off payment of £40.

They treat rats, mice, wasps, flying and crawling insects, moles and squirrels. For more information contact www.durham.gov.uk/pestcontrol or telephone 03000 261 000

It’s a crime not to care where your waste items end up. If your item ends up fly-tipped, Durham County Council can trace it back to you. They can then issue a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400 for fly-tipping and regularly prosecute fly-tippers and unlicensed waste carriers through the magistrates courts.

Tips to get rid of furniture and white goods legally

• Arrange a council bulky waste collection – book online at www.durham.gov.uk/bulkywaste or call 03000 261 000.
• Take items to a household waste recycling centre. See www.durham.gov.uk/hwr for locations and opening times. If you are visiting in a van, you’ll need to apply for a free permit beforehand. Visit www.durham.gov.uk/householdpermit or call 03000 261 000.
• If items are still in good working condition, donate to a furniture reuse scheme. Visit www.durham.gov.uk/reuse for a scheme near you.

For more information about fly-tipping visit www.durham.gov.uk/flytipping

A new older adult gym session will start at the Grenhills Centre on Wednesday 7 June 2017 at 3.30pm.

The session will include

• Exercise
• Weekly weight and measurements
• New recipe ideas
• Health advice
• Support using the gym

For more information contact Laura Brydon on 07809909364 or email laurs.brydon@pcp.uk.net or visit www.wellbeingforlife.net

Well being for life is launching a new Memory Café at the Greenhills Centre. The Memory Café starts on Friday 16 June 2017 2pm to 3.30pm and will be held weekly.

Refreshments will be provided. There will be games, chair exercises as well as health advice and activities.

For more information contact Laura Brydon on 07809909364 or email laura.brydon@pcp.uk.net or visit www.wellbeingforlife.net

 

 

 

 

 

The Community Action Team (CAT) has undertaken an 8 week project in Wheatley Hill.  The CAT brought together residents and a range of organisations to tackle housing and environmental issues by identifying local priorities and making the best use of resources.

The CAT was made up of officers from Durham County Councils environment, health and consumer protection, planning, Neighbourhood Wardens and housing teams.

The following topics were prioritised following the information gained through surveys completed in Wheatley Hill, resident engagement and partner intelligence:

• Empty properties and associated disrepair
• Fly tipping, rubbish accumulations and dog fouling
• Improving health in the community

The surveys highlighted that residents felt there was a problem with underage sales of alcohol and illicit tobacco in Wheatley Hill.

During the project period  84 cases were logged from walkabouts and drop-ins which included the following:

Drainage defects – includes blocked gutters on the Front Street
Rubbish accumulations
Defective properties
Pests
Public health issues

The CAT served 31 notices on 13 properties in the village

There was 3 cases of works in default. This was where the owner of a property had not carried out work required by a Notice, so Durham County Council undertook the work and charged the owner. If the owner failed to pay, a charge would be put against the property.

Whilst the CAT were present in the village for 8 weeks the work they started would continue and included some of the following issues:

• Downcomer protectors had been offered to property owners on the Front Street
• Property owners on the Front Street had been approached about carrying out a paint-up initiative.
• ‘Bitz n Pizzas’ had finished their refurbishment
• Weekly walkabouts were taking place
• Wardens were doing extra patrols in the area for dog fouling and fly tipping
• Police and Wardens had planned waste carrier stop checks to prevent illegal fly tipping
• Posters were being used to deter recurrent fly tipping in back yards
• Mini Police walkabouts had identified litter as a problem and done a litter pick
• Strategic Waste were visiting properties to provide recycling advice
• The Fire Service had carried out safe and wellbeing visits and would visit the primary school to talk about arson
• NHS Health checks were offered at community groups
• The Mini Police and Youth Action Group planned to carry out speed awareness checks
• Information on how to report stray horses had been provided

At the end of the project the CAT would put in place an exit strategy with partners and provide feedback through community groups and letters to residents in the focus area.  Residents were also invited to provide feedback on the project.

For more information in relation to the initiative please contact Jennifer Jones, Senior Environmental Health Officer, Telephone 03000 261006 or email jennifer.jones@durham.gov.uk

 

 

 

In 2016 Durham County Council carried out a consultation on implementing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for dog control.

The purpose of the PSPO is to help protect parks and open spaces against irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after, or control, their dogs properly. It will help the following:

• reduce dog fouling
• reduce the number of stray dogs and make it easier to return stray dogs to their owners by checking dogs are microchipped
• better control of dogs in public areas
• safer and more welcoming play areas
• improve the local community and environment

Over eighty per cent of people supported the Order, positively agreeing it would: help create safe and welcoming play areas; reduce the number of stray dogs; enable authorised officers to request dogs are put on leads when necessary and tackle dog fouling issues.

Durham County Council has now agreed the PSPO and from 1 June 2017 it will be an offence in County Durham to:

• Allow a dog to foul without picking it up
• Allow a dog to stray – roam loose/wander/exercise without a responsible owner present
• Fail to put a dog on a lead when asked by an authorised officer – Council officer or Durham Police
• Allow dogs in designated fenced off play sites – dogs are not allowed into designated fenced off play sites

Anyone who fails to comply will be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100. This will be reduced to £60 if paid within 10 working days. The maximum fine is £1,000.

For more information on the PSPO, including Frequently Asked Questions, a list of fenced off play areas included in the PSPO and details of free Dogs Trust health check event, visit www.durham.gov.uk/dogcontrol